HOMELESS REPORTING CONCERNS
CONCERNS over how homeless figures are presented were raised by councillors at the monthly meeting of Louth County Council but officials refused to comment.
Councillors sought an explanation as to how homeless figures are being reported after 209 people were removed from the March figures.
The matter was raised by Cllr Joanne Byrne who said that while she could understand the officials response that they had no comment to make, she didn’t share their views,
While she commended the housing department on how they had handled the issue when it broke in the national media, she wanted assurances that transparency regarding the homeless figures in the county would continue.
Commenting that ‘209 people were removed from the March figures and we haven’t got the April figures yet, 95 adults and 114 children. Where are we going to find those numbers in future. We need to be afforded that information.’
‘I think we should be asking the Minister these questions,’ said Cllr Mark Dearey.
Cllr Ruairi O Mhurchu said that Housing Minister Eoghan Murphy of attempting to massage the figures had failed .
Director of Service Joe McGuinness told the meeting that he had no further comment to make. Councillors had received a memo stating that as of the end of March a hundred households were being put up in privately-owned accommodation.
According to the memo: ‘ The Council has been actively seeking private houses which we have leased from landlords to provide alternatives to Hotel and B & B environments and also provides a more cost effective solution. At the end of March 18, 100 households including 32 children were accommodated in this fashion. It is important to note that the Council still consider these individuals as homeless and in all cases are planning their ultimate accommodation to be delivered through HAP.
‘For the March national figures the Department requested all Local Authorities not to include these households in the figures reported.’
In a statement issued to the press at the time, the Council confirmed that it ‘agreed with the Department of Housing that individuals and families who had been accommodated in private houses and apartments leased by the Council should not be classified as residents in Emergency Accommodation.’